Chapter 10: Negotiation and Legislative Language
Bicycling and Wilderness: A Mountain Biker's Guide to Wilderness Advocacy
After formulating a position on each proposed Wilderness area, bicycling advocates should negotiate with Wilderness proponents, and other interest groups, to see if common ground can be reached. Sometimes we can find win-win solutions that greatly enhance the likelihood of issue resolution, leaving more people satisfied. Even if negotiation is unsuccessful, the communication it entails will almost always benefit the relationships between cyclists and other people who care about the land. Done well, negotiation will build respect for bicycling and bicyclists.
When entering negotiation, don't expect immediate results. Occasionally, a single session suffices, but more often it takes several meetings. Sometimes, it becomes a grueling, long process.
Do not feel obligated to come to agreement. If you do agree, you will have greater chance of success, but there is no guarantee of success, nor is it always necessary. Other people and forces outside the negotiation process can influence votes of Congress. Your negotiation with others can only influence, not control, the Congress members' votes.
When negotiating, you must come to the table with an honest and open mind, ready to listen to the other parties' viewpoints. You must respect other parties as you would have them respect you. Listening and respect are more likely to produce successful outcomes than stubborn insistence on unrealistic viewpoints. Taking this into account, though, you shouldn't refrain from asserting your own viewpoint and objectives.
In some cases you may find that your best attempts at forming relationships and coalitions fall on deaf ears. If no one is willing to cooperate or make even small concessions for mountain bikers, you may certainly consider formally opposing the Wilderness proposal. This is a position many mountain bikers may be hesitant to take because of their environmental beliefs, but certain situations can necessitate it. Use your opposition to push for negotiations and a revised proposal that has a better chance of being passed into law. Keeping an open dialogue, even though you may agree to disagree, is most important. It is critical that cyclists have a seat at the table and are part of the negotiations. Once the door is shut and you have alienated the decision makers, you will find it next to impossible to affect change.
Once you've come to agreement on some of the management tools your proposal will use, check out our collection of legislative language. These links will take you to pre-written templates or bills that require minimal customization before placing them in a Wilderness bill. Of course, you can also add or take out provisions as you see fit. If you require language for some other type of tool or designation, contact IMBA for assistance.
General Wilderness language resources
Trail Exemptions, Grandfathering, and Non-Wilderness Corridors
